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. 2019 Nov 5;11(11):1027.
doi: 10.3390/v11111027.

Viromics Reveal a Number of Novel RNA Viruses in Swedish Mosquitoes

Pontus Öhlund  1 , Juliette Hayer  2 , Hanna Lundén  1 , Jenny C Hesson  3 , Anne-Lie Blomström  1
Affiliations

Viromics Reveal a Number of Novel RNA Viruses in Swedish Mosquitoes

Pontus Öhlund et al. Viruses. .

Abstract

Metagenomic studies of mosquitoes have revealed that their virome is far more diverse and includes many more viruses than just the pathogenic arboviruses vectored by mosquitoes. In this study, the virome of 953 female mosquitoes collected in the summer of 2017, representing six mosquito species from two geographic locations in Mid-Eastern Sweden, were characterized. In addition, the near-complete genome of nine RNA viruses were characterized and phylogenetically analysed. These viruses showed association to the viral orders Bunyavirales, Picornavirales, Articulavirales, and Tymovirales, and to the realm Ribovira. Hence, through this study, we expand the knowledge of the virome composition of different mosquito species in Sweden. In addition, by providing viral reference genomes from wider geographic regions and different mosquito species, future in silico recognition and assembly of viral genomes in metagenomic datasets will be facilitated.

Keywords: insect-specific virus; metagenomics; mosquitoes; virome.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The founding sponsors had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript; or in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Distribution of all mosquito species collected in Flen and Uppsala. Mosquito species are represented by different colors. Aedes (Ae), Coquillettidia (Cq).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Annotation of viral reads in the different pools of mosquitoes. Each bar represents a mosquito pool—designated 1–12 and are described in Table 1. (A) Proportion of classified viral reads and unclassified RNA viral read. (B) Proportion of virus families of the classified viral reads.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Phylogenetic analysis and genomic features of the positive-sense RNA viruses discovered in this study. The maximum-likelihood phylogenetic trees show the positions of newly discovered viruses (solid black circles) in the context of representatives of their closest relatives. The genome structures of viruses discovered in this study are shown next to their corresponding phylogenies. (A) The phylogenetic tree was generated using the translation of the fifth ORF. (B) Phylogenetic tree was generated using the translation of the second ORF for both FTLV and HTLV. (C) The phylogenetic tree was generated using the aa sequence of the complete polyprotein. RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Phylogenetic analysis of the predicted and genomic features of the negative-sense RNA viruses discovered in this study. The maximum-likelihood phylogenetic trees show the positions of newly discovered viruses (solid black circles) in the context of representatives of their closest relatives. The genome structures of the viruses discovered in this study are shown next to their corresponding phylogenies. (A) The phylogenetic tree was generated using the translation of the ORF of the PA segment. (B) The phylogenetic tree was generated using the translation of the ORF of the large segment.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Phylogenetic analysis and genomic features of the unclassified RNA viruses discovered in this study. The maximum-likelihood phylogenetic trees show the positions of newly discovered viruses (solid black circles) in the context of representatives of their closest relatives. The genome structures of viruses discovered in this study are shown next to their corresponding phylogenies. (A) The phylogenetic tree was generated using the translation of the sixth ORF. (B) The phylogenetic tree was generated using the translation of the first ORF. (C) The phylogenetic tree was generated using the translation of the first ORF.
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